Alismataceae

Water Plantain Family

Water Plantains

FAMILY: Water plantain family (Alismataceae) – Alisma genus.

SPECIES: #1 grassleaf, narrowleaf, or ribbonleaf water plantain (Alisma gramineum Lej. = A. geyeri Torr.). #2 mud or northern water plantain (Alisma triviale Pursh = A. brevipes Greene = A. plantago-aquatica L. var. americanum Schult.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: The thickened bases (rhizomes) of both species listed above are edible. In addition, northern water plantain (A. triviale) has edible roots and leaf bases. Water plantains typically have “thick bases” where the roots, leaves, and flower stalks converge. These bases have been called many things (such as roots, corms, tubers, and stem bases), but they are technically short, thick rhizomes. From a forager’s perspective, they are the primary part of interest. Three species of the Alisma genus are native to North America, the two noted above and American water plantain (A. subcordatum) primarily of the eastern United States. Water plantains seem to be missing in books about edible plants or represented by merely one or two sentences. Their historical significance in the lives of Native Americans (as well as Europeans and Asians) appears to be minor, at least in comparison to related plants called arrowheads (of the Sagittaria genus). Cooking the various parts is recommended due to the prevalence of parasites in aquatic habitats. The following notes are based on northern water plantain. Other species are presumably, but not necessarily, similar.

Rhizomes of northern water plantain (A. triviale) are a good resource. This plant produces fibrous roots that branch off thick rhizomes located immediately below ground level. Note that “ground level” is usually mud where this plant thrives, hence its other common name: mud water plantain. The rhizomes taste nearly identical to potatoes, except for an odd note and a resinous accent. Acrid overtones can be expected if the rhizomes are eaten raw, but cooked rhizomes should taste reasonably mild. The fibrous roots are less valuable than the rhizomes. They can be shaved off the rhizomes and discarded, or they can be chewed as “starchy gum.” Rhizomes can be roasted, dried, and ground into flour. This flour has an aroma suggesting a high food value. Since the rhizomes are close to the surface, harvesting them is relatively easy. Muddy terrain can be an obstacle, but only minimal effort is required to dislodge them. Harvesting is best done from late autumn to early spring because the rhizomes contain more carbohydrates at that time.

Leaves of northern water plantain (A. triviale), except for the bases, are not reported to be edible. The leafstalks can reach the size of store bought celery, but they’re void of anything that could honestly be called food. The flavor has elements of plantain, nettle, and bulrush. The texture is spongy and the aroma is marshy. Leafstalks of northern water plantain can be chewed like gum, but they lack anything that the human body can digest. The leaf blades also lack anything digestible. Even the leaf bases, which are slightly more starchy, don’t offer much caloric value. Assuming a colony of these plants can be located, harvesting the leaves is easy, but the reward isn’t really worth the effort.

NOTES: My initial experience with northern water plantain in the Coconino National Forest of Arizona was significantly different than what I was expecting. After reading about the acrid nature of water plantains, I thought the rhizomes would taste awful, but they tasted delicious. Additional gatherings only confirmed this experience. Wild foods normally have a range of flavors, sometimes a very wide range. Growing conditions and several other factors can affect flavor quality. Perhaps northern water plantain populations in the Coconino National Forest are unusually mild or perhaps my sense of taste simply approves of this wild food. I don’t contest that some populations taste acrid, but I do offer hope that some populations taste good.

IDENTIFICATION: The Alisma genus is represented by about 10 species worldwide, 5 of which occur in the United States, and 2 of which occur in the Southwest: grassleaf water plantain (A. gramineum) and northern water plantain (A. triviale). The former has narrower leaves and 3-ridged achenes, while the latter has wider leaves and 2-ridged achenes. American water plantain (A. subcordatum), primarily of the eastern United States, is very similar to northern water plantain, differing mainly by having smaller flower petals. Water plantains are unrelated to true plantains of the plantain family, but from a nontechnical perspective they look somewhat similar.

Description of grassleaf water plantain (Alisma gramineum): FORM amphibious, stemless, perennial plant about 5-45 cm tall emerging from fibrous roots and short, thick rhizomes; LEAVES simple, basal, and long-stalked; blades grass-, ribbon- or lance-like; margins entire; surfaces hairless; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged in short panicles; sepals 3; petals 3, free, white to pink, 2-4 mm long, and with entire margins; pistils about 8-20 arranged in doughnut-like rings; styles one per ovary; stamens 6-9; anthers ovoid; FRUITS achenes strongly compressed, short-beaked, and 3-ridged or 2-grooved on the outer edge; HABITAT muddy edges of lakes; western United States and Canada; blooming spring to autumn.

Description of northern water plantain (Alisma triviale): FORM amphibious, stemless, perennial plant about 15-80 cm tall emerging from fibrous roots and short, thick rhizomes; LEAVES simple, basal, and long-stalked; blades lanceolate or elliptic; margins entire; surfaces hairless; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged in large panicles; sepals 3; petals 3, free, white to pink, 3-6 mm long, and with entire margins; pistils about 8-20 arranged in doughnut-like rings; styles one per ovary; stamens 6; anthers ovoid; FRUITS achenes strongly compressed, short-beaked, and 2-ridged or 1-grooved; HABITAT muddy edges of lakes; western United States and Canada; blooming spring to autumn.

REFERENCES: #1 grassleaf water plantain (Alisma gramineum = A. geyeri): rhizomes Couplan (p. 457); base of plant Kirk (p. 158). #2 northern water plantain (Alisma triviale): roots and leaf bases Lahring (pp. 58-59); rhizomes Couplan (p. 457); base of plant Chmielewski (p. 201) and Kirk (p. 158).

Arrowheads

FAMILY: Water plantain family (Alismataceae) – Sagittaria genus.

SPECIES: #1 arumleaf arrowhead (Sagittaria cuneata E. Sheldon). #2 broadleaf arrowhead, duck potato, or wapato (Sagittaria latifolia Willd.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: The corms, which have also been called tubers, of both species listed above are edible. A few references indicate that the leaf bases of “various species” are also edible. Arrowheads prefer aquatic habitats, especially the muddy edges of receding lakes. They produce fibrous roots and send out extensions that terminate in starchy corms some distance from the leaf bases. The corms are white and surrounded by overlapping scales. Consuming them raw is not advised due to the prevalence of parasites in aquatic habitats. Cooking effectively kills parasites. According to other authors, the corms taste reminiscent of potatoes and harvesting is best done from late autumn to early spring because they are largest at that time. Arrowheads are easy to identify, but they’re difficult to find in arid regions due to the lack of marshy habitats. In northern regions, they were very important to Native Americans.

NOTES: Locating and documenting wetland plants in the American Southwest was challenging, as wetland habitats tend to be scarce, privately owned, or protected. The only place that I found arrowhead (species undetermined) in the Southwest was protected, so I left it alone. Southwestern foragers might find arrowhead around ponds or reservoirs in the mountains, but these plants are too scarce to be of much value in the Southwest.

A 100 gram serving of wapato (Sagittaria latifolia) corms contains: 103 kilocalories, 4.4 grams of protein, 0.2 grams of fat, 20.0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 RE vitamin A, 5.0 mg vitamin C, and 12 mg calcium. Source: Prentiss (p. 119).

IDENTIFICATION: The Sagittaria genus is currently represented by about 25 species in the United States. Only 5 of these species have been collected in the Southwest and all 5 of them are rare. Only the 3 mentioned below are likely to be encountered.

Description of arumleaf arrowhead (Sagittaria cuneata): FORM aquatic plant up to about 9 dm tall producing stolons and corms; LEAVES simple; basal; submersed, floating, or emersed; stalks well developed and triangular in cross section; blades linear, oval, or more often arrow-shaped, 2-9 cm wide by 3-15 cm long; basal lobes (when present) equaling or shorter than the terminal lobes; FLOWERS regular, unisexual, ovary superior, stalked, and arranged in clusters of 2-8 whorls forming racemes or panicles; bracts lanceolate and partially fused; male flowers often positioned above female flowers; both genders up to 25 mm across; sepals 3, green; petals 3, white, and rounded; pistils and stamens numerous; filaments hairless; FRUITS achenes arranged in globe-shaped clusters; beaks tiny, 0.1-0.7 mm, and oriented upward (vertical) rather than outward (horizontal); HABITAT muddy lakeshores throughout northern and western North America; scarce in the Southwest; blooming June to September. NOTES: Broadleaf arrowhead (S. latifolia) differs by having longer achene beaks (1-2 mm) oriented horizontally, and longlobe arrowhead (S. longiloba) differs by having basal leaf lobes longer than the terminal lobe.

REFERENCES: #1 arumleaf arrowhead (Sagittaria cuneata): tubers/corms Couplan (p. 458), Fernald (pp. 86-89), and Kuhnlein (pp. 70-71). #2 wapato (Sagittaria latifolia): tubers/corms Couplan (p. 458).